The Second Parting
by fuzzydream
Summary: A glimpse in the life of John and Anna Bates, six months into John's release. No spoilers, not really.


**Title: **The Second Parting

**Summary: **A glimpse in the life of John and Anna Bates, six months into John's release. No spoilers, not really.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Downton Abbey John would have been released by and would be totally rocking that cottage with Anna.

**Author's note: **I don't know about you, but the last episode left me a little tired and a tiny bit worried, so I indulged myself to this one story: a hopeful and happy take of what's to come for John and Anna in the future. While I'm not entirely happy with the title – I've been seriously trying to think of a better one ever since this afternoon – this is the best I came up with. And thanks Terrie, for editing it and coming up with the best title ever - even though I wasn't brave enough to use it, haha! ;) Hope you'll like the story!

* * *

"_We only part to meet again.__"_ John Gay

* * *

Anna yawned loudly upon entering her bedroom, tired from the day's activities. Briefly looking at the clock on the bedside table, she sat down in front of the dresser. She took a deep breath; she really looked extremely tired, even if she felt a little better after taking a much deserved bath. Blinking heavily, she started combing her hair, shivering ever so slightly at the cold air. The weather was improving and warmer now, but the nights were still chilly and all Anna really wanted was to go to bed and curl up next to her husband, who was more than capable of keeping her warm. She started braiding her hair instead.

Her fingers were fast with practice, and she kept looking at the clock, a little worried at the later-than-usual time. She pursed her lips. She had come home rather early, having finished her tasks, and had meant to wait for John so they could come home together, like they did nearly every day; the new chauffeur, Mr. Turner, however, had offered her a ride home, as it'd be on his way to take the Dowager Countess home. Anna had declined at first, but John insisted she should go home earlier if she had, indeed, finished, and Anna had been much too tired to argue. He had assured her he wouldn't be long, though – and that was almost an hour ago.

Determined to stay awake waiting for him, Anna picked her book from the nightstand and got into bed, the sheets cold against her and making her shiver once again. She had just opened the book when the sound of the front door being opened reached her ears. Alarmed, she didn't even try to read until she heard the distinct, familiar and oh so welcome sound of John's steps climbing up the stairs.

The door to their bedroom was opened very quietly and very slowly, which made Anna smile. John seemed surprised to see her awake, but his smile was soft and happy.

"I thought you'd be asleep by now," he said, his voice barely a tone above a whisper.

"I wanted to wait for you," was Anna's quiet reply.

He walked into the bedroom fully now, taking his coat off as Anna rested her book on her lap. She watched as he left the coat on the back of the chair in the corner of the room – where Anna often told him not to, but he did anyway – and turned to her, walking towards her side of the bed to kiss her, as they hadn't had a chance to do since morning. He caught her lips in a soft, cherished kiss, making her smile widen.

"You smell good," he told her as he took a deep breath before pulling away from her.

"I took a bath when I got home. I left the water for you, but I'm afraid it must be cold by now," Anna said as he sat beside her legs and started to take off his waistcoat. "What took you so long? I was getting worried."

He smiled, "Worried about what, my dear?" he chuckled when she shrugged, "I was making some last minute packing for his Lordship when I noticed one of his shirts needed mending. It took longer than I thought it would," he started to unbutton his shirt; "I did say you needn't wait up for me."

"You're going away for three days tomorrow," she told him sternly, "Of course I needed to wait up for you."

Her tone wasn't brisk but she wasn't overjoyed by the fact; she knew he'd need to go travel with his Lordship often, as she was required to travel with Lady Mary whenever it was needed. That didn't mean Anna enjoyed it, of course. John hadn't been entirely too happy by the fact either. Six months into his release, this was the first time they'd be away from each other after those horrid, endless months. None of them seemed excited at the prospect, however brief John's stay in London might be.

"You know I'm going because I must, don't you?" his smile was sad, "I wouldn't be going if it wasn't extremely necessary."

His hand was resting on her knee to assure her and Anna smiled; of course he'd go if Lord Grantham asked him to, even if it wouldn't be extremely necessary. That was just who John was: sometimes infuriatingly loyal, but she wouldn't want him any other way. Her hand came to rest on top of his.

"Of course I know that," she said, "I know how these things are. Don't worry."

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it lovingly, before resuming the task of unbuttoning his shirt. Anna watched as he did so, still mesmerised by the fact that there they were, married, living together, and he was oh so casually stripping in front of her while she waited for him in bed. The whole idea would, one day, years ago, seem unbelievable to her. Now, however, an easy, slow smirk crossed her face as her husband stood up and took his shirt off, revealing broad shoulders and a dark chest. He stopped when he noticed her staring and Anna quickly recompose herself, though the grin was still playing on her features.

"I'll go for that bath now," he told her with an amused expression on his face, "I'll try not to be too long."

"I'm not going anywhere," she said, still grinning at him, and opening her book again as he left the room.

As hard as she tried, however, Anna found out she couldn't focus. The words were blurring in front of her – Dickens had never been her favourite –, and she vowed to take it easier for the next few days, if she was feeling this tired; she blinked a couple of times, fighting sleep as much as she could. Her eyelids grew heavier as the seconds passed by, and soon she found herself slipping away, tiredness overcoming her best intentions.

* * *

Anna opened her eyes alarmingly and saw John holding her book in front of her, preparing to rest it on her bedside table. He was wearing his pyjamas, and his hair was still a bit damp from the bath. Taking a deep breath, Anna's voice sounded tired even to her ears.

"Did I sleep long?"

"No, barely fifteen minutes. Go back to sleep," he told her gently, lying back on his side of the bed.

"No, no, you won't be here tomorrow and I intend on making the most of tonight," she told him rather sheepishly, a small smile playing on her lips as she lay fully on the bed down, stretching away and relaxing.

She rolled over to him, seeing a slow smile on his face as she kissed his lips.

"You looked dead on your feet before you left Downton today," John told her, his arm making its natural way around her shoulders.

"My, my, you do know how to compliment a woman."

She leaned down and kissed him again, this time opening her mouth and allowing his tongue to caress hers, leisurely, slowly. When she pulled away, his eyes were still closed.

"Do I look dead on my feet now?"

He let out a throaty, amused laugh and opened his eyes, bringing his hand to caress Anna's face ever so softly.

"No, you don't. You look lovely, as always," he told her with a smile as she rested her head against his shoulder and brought one of her hands to his chest, "You're cold."

"That's because you weren't here to warm me up," she said, turning her head to look at him, "It'll be weird to not have you there with me at work tomorrow."

Her tone was quiet and sad, and John's smile reflected this; it was inexplicable, really, the ache inside her, consuming her thoughts ever since he told her he'd be away, last week. She couldn't help but remember how it was to not be with him every day, to sit in the servants' hall without him there, to not see his easy smile in the halls, when they met and exchanged looks and smiles and sometimes, when they were sure nobody was watching, a kiss or two. There were days she rarely saw him, both of them too busy to sit down and have a break, but it was some comfort to know he was there, in the house, not far away from her. Always within her reach. And now, with him leaving, even for a few days, she felt as if he was slipping through her fingers as the hours passed by, until he'd finally go in the early train tomorrow.

He hesitated speaking, she noticed; one of his hands was toying with her braid, and she knew he'd let her hair loose in no time, getting rid of the neat braid she always did in the evenings but was somehow rarely there in the mornings. His tone was quiet and he seemed worried when he finally spoke.

"Will you be fine on your own?"

"Of course. Mrs. Hughes even offered me my old room back for the nights until you're back," Anna told him, "But I prefer to stay here. It's no problem."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," her voice was determined, "You'll be back soon."

She wasn't sure if she was saying this to him or to herself, though; she remembered him leaving many times before, years ago, with Lord Grantham, and Anna didn't always go with them, most of the time, anyway; but that seemed like a million years ago, back when they weren't married, back when she was just a housemaid who was in love with the cryptic valet who never spoke openly to her. Sometimes, that felt like another life, before war, before death, before prison. Before all the time they spent away from each other.

He still looked a bit worried, and Anna did her best to smile brightly at him. It wasn't so difficult to smile, no. Nowadays, smiles were always on her face, laughing was such an easy action and she felt, for the first time in years, a lasting happiness within her. It was difficult to believe it would last, but it was lasting, ever since he was released, no matter what problems were thrown at them, for they were together – properly, solidly – and that was more than enough to make her happy.

She rolled over, with half of her body now on top of him, and brought her hands to his face. He needed to shave, she made a note mentally. She'd remind him of that later. He smiled back at her, concern not quite leaving his face yet.

"I'm not frightened, you know. Apprehensive, maybe," Anna told him in a whisper, "I'll miss you terribly, immensely, but you'll be back before long. And I'm not frightened. I hope you know that. I hope you trust that."

"Of course I trust you," he quickly said, "I'll be back before you know it."

He took her left hand and kissed it, right where her wedding ring lay; he kissed her pulse, too, soon trailing kisses on her forearm and arm until he reached her shoulder and her collarbone; suddenly needing to feel him, Anna's hands started moving on their own accord, unbuttoning the first buttons of his pyjama top. His own hands were already on her waist, bringing her even closer to him, and Anna was starting to feel really hot now – suddenly the chilliness was over.

"Why do you insist on braiding your hair?" he asked amusedly, between kisses, as his hand found her hair once more.

Anna giggled and propped onto her elbows on the bed, "I really don't know. Perhaps I just like to see you frustrated with it."

He glared at her in mock disapproval, and took the tie that was holding her braid together off, disentangling her hair as she shook her head to make it loose, the way she knew he liked. He smiled and moved closer to kiss her lips fully, and Anna moaned in surprise when his tongue found hers. She tried to focus on unbuttoning John's top, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate when his lips were melting so deliciously into hers and with his hands roaming over her body. She suppressed a giggle when his hand caressed her stomach through the material of her nightgown, just at that particular place under her ribs that was oh so ticklish and John would often disturb her and make her laugh.

As his lips left her mouth to cover her jaw and her neck with kisses, she took the brief opportunity to gather her thoughts together and finally finish unbuttoning his pyjama top; he pulled away from her just enough to help her taking it off, revealing his shoulders and chest to her. Anna happily ran her fingers through his dark chest hair, revelling in the feel of them beneath her hands; somehow, in the middle of it all, John had her on her back to the bed, her blonde hair cascading onto the pillows and her breath hitching when his hands, so soft and so worshipping, stroked her upper thighs, his kisses never stopping, from her collarbone to her earlobes. She had always enjoyed this, the feeling of him everywhere around her, which was never quite enough.

She tugged on the waistband of his trousers, a bit impatient; she had meant what she said before: she wanted to make the most of the night. John ignored her attempts, merely chuckling against her skin and making her feel a little bit frustrated. She let him be, thoroughly enjoying his administrations on her body. She gasped when one of his hands went from her foot to the back of her knee, ever so tender, ever so soft, as if she could break at any moment. She smiled inwardly when she remembered a little something, and had to bite her lower lip to keep from grinning. She felt his hand running around her thigh, and stopping for a moment in a particular place. John's lips had been on her neck then, and she felt his smile widen.

"You naughty girl," he growled against her ear, making her shiver at his quiet voice.

Anna giggled in response and bent her knee, making her nightgown huddle together around her hips, revealing John's hand and the garter it was holding. She had only wore it in a number of occasions – twice before, to be exact – on his first night back home, when they had both been much too eager and hadn't even paid much attention to it – and shortly afterwards, during one of the free days Lord Grantham had granted them after John's release. She thought she'd wear it for special occasions, not wanting to have John tired of it when she wasn't exactly owner to much different lingerie.

And of course this was a special occasion; she needed to know they'd be fine away from each other for the first time after everything, and she supposed an extra nice memory would make it easier for her to wait until he got back.

She watched as John pulled away and looked at her, his dark eyes staring at her body in a way that made her slightly embarrassed even now, after so many months of getting to know each other. It was, however, exciting at the same time, and she couldn't help but stare back at him, at the way he was hovering above her, already between her legs – even if they were both still dressed – his half-weight ever so welcome above her; after a moment or two, Anna reached for his neck and pulled him back to her, kissing him deeply, wanting to feel all of him against her. Understanding her actions, John started to pull at her nightgown, and suddenly there wasn't much clothing on them anymore. Moans and heavy breathing took place instead of the seemingly incessant thoughts on Anna's head as to what the next days would bring, and soon all she could feel was him around her, making her feel so beautiful, so worshipped, so _good_.

The garter was the last item to hit the floor.

* * *

She heard movement around her but didn't open her eyes; she was far too comfortable and she was sure it was still very early to be up, judging by the lack of light. She snuggled into her pillow, but she heard more movement. Surely it couldn't be morning already? Not willing to open her eyes yet, Anna rolled over onto her stomach, expecting to feel John's warm presence beside her, but was met by nothing but sheets. Frowning, she finally opened her eyes.

It was still dark, but she could already hear the early singing of birds outside. Rolling over again, she propped onto her elbows, making sure the sheets were covering her. John wasn't around, but the faint light coming from the hall told her he was still home. She relaxed a little, taking some hair off of her face to see more clearly as she blinked. She lay back down, stretching her deliciously sore muscles, still feeling quite exhausted. Anna rubbed her eyes tiredly, not wanting to succumb back to sleep. If John was up, that meant he intended on leaving soon. She knew he'd be catching an early train.

Propped against the pillows, she yawned and reached over to the lampshade on the bedside table, turning it on and illuminating the room, what instantly made Anna smile. Their nightclothes were still on the floor, having been thrown rather unceremoniously there, and the pillows and the sheets were a mess around her. She let out a tiny giggle. It had been worth the mess, that's for sure.

She was still grinning when John opened the door, and she was met by the amused look on his face. He was already dressed in his trousers and shirt, and seemed surprised to see her awake.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up," he said quietly, making his way towards her, "I tried to not make much noise."

"It's fine," she said as he leaned down to kiss her lips. She was smiling when they parted and she reached for his cheek. "You shaved."

He arched his eyebrows, "Can't exactly go to London looking like a slob."

He grabbed her hand and kissing her palm, standing up and gathering some of his personal belongings that would go with him on the trip; Anna had already taken care of most of his packing yesterday night, so there wasn't much for him to do now. She watched as he took care of his hair and put his waistcoat on. He had lost weight during his time in prison, and he was still thin compared to how he used to be, but Anna was successfully changing that. She smiled inwardly as he petted her thigh when he sat up beside her to put his shoes on. It never ceased to amaze her how she missed such simple actions before; how had she lived without his soft voice awaking her in the mornings, when he was already almost ready and she was still in bed, sleeping? How had she lived so many years without watching him shave, or have him combing her hair? It all seemed so simple, so trivial, and yet it wasn't. She treasured such moments in her heart and she didn't mind if people would think it was stupid of her to do so.

"I think you should spend the nights at Downton Abbey while I'm away," he told her softly, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Oh," Anna mumbled, not expecting his, "but I've told you I prefer to stay here. It's really no problem."

"I know," he said, finishing tying his shoes and turning to look at her, "but it would make me feel better to know that you're not here alone every evening. I worry, you know."

Anna smiled sadly as he took her hand, "I know," she looked down on her lap, "I just… I didn't want to stay there because… well, it would be just like before."

He frowned, but a moment later a look of understanding crossed his features.

"Oh, Anna, you know I'll be here on Friday."

She nodded, caressing his fingers, but not quite looking at him. "Yes, I do, but it'd be just the same. You miles away and I… alone, in that room. I just never thought that could happen again, that's it."

Her voice was a little high-pitched at the end of the sentence, and she felt unshed tears in her eyes, but she wouldn't cry. It was only for a few days, she reminded herself; he wouldn't be gone for an indefinite amount of time.

"Miles away but back in no time. You won't even miss me," he said jokingly, but Anna shook her head. His free hand reached for her chin, "Anna, my love, look at me. You don't have to stay there if you don't want to. It's fine. I was thinking about your safety."

She closed her eyes for a moment, "Yes, I know. Of course I know that," she looked up at him and her smile was bittersweet; "Well, I best get up too, or you'll have no breakfast."

Anna sat up straighter and got her nightgown, which had been bundled up on the floor right next to her side of the bed.

"I'll just have something to eat at the house, don't worry," he protested, but Anna was already putting it on, "Lady Mary won't be up for another hours. You should stay and rest. I know how you've been tired lately."

She sat up beside him, stretching a little, and smiled.

"I'll have plenty of time to rest for the next few nights," she told him, looking around the mess of their room, "I'll make you breakfast, and then I'll see you out. I'll stay here longer to get everything on its place."

He looked around and grinned. Anna stood up, intending to go downstairs to start on breakfast, but he stopped her when she was in front of him, his hands on her waist. He brought her closer, resting his head against her chest as her own hands enveloped his shoulders.

"I'll miss you. Three days will seem like forever to me," he whispered, looking up at her. She smiled. "I'm sorry I left the room in such a state last night."

She shook her head, grinning, "I'm sure you weren't the only contributor to this."

He released her then, and she put on her slippers to go downstairs.

It was kind of odd, Anna realised as they ate later, to prepare for him to be going away for a while. In fact, it was the first time such a thing happened. She tried not to think of his previous times away, but they still made way into her thoughts, and sometimes even her dreams, reliving every sensation and feeling she had over him leaving. John seemed to be in a good mood now, despite of everything. He smiled easily, even making a few not so discreet comments about last night, making Anna laugh. He'd be back. This time was so different from the others. He'd be back before long, and in three days they'd be together.

A few minutes later, there was nothing but longing in their parting; he put on his coat and Anna rested against the wall, watching him. She crossed her arms in front of her, feeling cold – was it the weather or maybe just the prospect of him leaving? – and he looked at her and smiled. She smiled back and walked right into his arms.

"I'll spend the nights at Downton," she told him as he kissed her hair, "If that makes you feel better."

He pulled away just enough to look at her.

"Anna, if you're not comfortable, you…"

"No, it's fine. It'll be nice to have some company," Anna said, "I'll miss you."

He pulled her into a tender, soft kiss, "I'll miss you too. I love you."

She kissed his smile away, "I love you too. So much. Friday can't come soon enough."

His hand caressed her cheek and he kissed her forehead lovingly, "Do rest while I'm away."

"Of course," she let him go as he picked his suitcase and his hat, along with his cane, "You too."

She opened the door for him, maintaining the smile on her face. He'd be back in no time, he said. Friday was just around the corner after all. She kept watching him until he reached the gate – one, two, three, four steps – and he looked back at her, the adorable crinkles around his eyes making her heart already ache with longing. She blew him a kiss and waved; he started to walk away.

Leaning against the doorframe, soon his silhouette was gone, and Anna resisted the impulse of going after him and begging him not to go. Instead, she closed the door and climbed up the stairs straight to their bedroom; she'd better start getting everything ready and pack a suitcase for her to stay over at Downton until John was back. This was their second parting after being married, and she didn't even want to think of the first one – the thoughts and memories were inevitable, though. The hurried confessions, the desperate kiss; the months of separation to follow, months that turned into one year and more months. It all seemed like a bad dream now. She was so glad it was all over.

The parting wasn't so bad if you knew when he'd be back, Anna realised. John was right. She let out a bittersweet laugh. Such sweet sorrow, to know he wouldn't be home that evening… and still to be sure that he'd be home by Friday. Three days until she'd see him again, touch him again, not indefinite months. Had she ever been so sure of his return before? No, not once. Not ever.

He was wrong in just one thing: she was missing him already. But she'd wait for him, just like she always did; only, this time, she'd happily do so.


End file.
